


Danny Ops (Steve’s take on “Happy Campers”)

by delighted



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Episode Fix-it, M/M, post-episode S6E11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 22:52:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5719990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delighted/pseuds/delighted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve’s POV on my post-episode-eleven story “Happy Campers.”</p>
<p>Follows the same plot as the original, but with Steve’s reasoning and plotting revealed. In case you like that sort of thing. Because, evidently, I do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Danny Ops (Steve’s take on “Happy Campers”)

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I need to apologize for doing this.
> 
> I had absolutely no plans to write this (I’ve got so many other things I’m wanting to work on, not to mention stuff that’s done that I want to post), I even tried several times to talk myself out of it (once successfully-- for a few hours), but Steve was stunningly persistent. He just wouldn’t leave me alone. I guess he really wanted his side of the story told!
> 
> So, in case anyone else needed “more” as well… I hope you enjoy it (again, I sure did). It’s more introspective-- Steve’s thoughts and feelings. And he was feeling uncharacteristically wordy for some reason, so it wound up being even longer, which really surprised me. It is maybe less fun or funny than Danny’s POV, and maybe more “feely.” But it’s very much the same story. Anyhow.
> 
> Taking up at the same spot.... The boys by the pool, with Danno’s soft, downy arms........

Steve was enjoying the openness with which Danny was letting him touch. Maybe too much. He’d been afraid he’d really fucked up this time. And he realized he’d gone about things the wrong way. The whole point of the weekend had been to reconnect with Danny.... And now Danny was looking at him oddly, and shit, his cheeks felt hot, and he needed to dial things back a bit. He tried to clear his head and focus on Danny.

“You ok, buddy?” He asked. “Ankle hurting?”

It seemed like Danny was surprised by that, but admitted it was a bit, and maybe another drink would help. Determined to get Danny to lighten up and enjoy himself, Steve decided the whole “we’re at a beautiful resort” tactic hadn’t completely failed him, so he’d go with that, and see how far it got him. Starting with, yeah, more drinks. He steeled his gut for the onslaught, and ordered two Mai Tais. Danny laughed, but it was a sweet laugh, not one of his bitter negative ones, so that was good.

What was less good was that Danny was determined to complain about the seminar schedule. Steve worked to keep up a layer of light banter, which was usually comfortable ground for them—though it had been less so of late, and he knew that was at least partly his fault. Ever since Cath had left just as he was about to propose, he’d found himself facing, more than he’d wanted, planed to—ever—his feelings for Danny. Because, not right away, but maybe even the next day, he’d realized he’d been, on some level, relieved. And Danny had come over with beers, and he’d been the picture of sympathy and consolation, and they’d sat on the beach... and Steve had realized _this_ was what he wanted. And, well, crap. That had almost hurt worse. And he hadn't exactly done a great job dealing with it.

He wasn’t sure why he’d thought this couples camp had been a good idea. It started as a joke, I mean, the name had been asking for it. He’d almost shown the listing to Danny, he’d been laughing so hard, but then he’d had this sudden overwhelming compulsion to try it. It would be totally plausible that he’d made a mistake. Danny’d grouse at him, but they’d joke about it, and... well, maybe it would spark something. He felt like a fool now for having thought that, and even his attempt to get Danny jealous by drunk texting pictures of himself with beautiful women had completely not worked, and had only made him more miserable that he wasn’t with Danny. Because that had been the entire point.

But Danny was seemingly genuinely upset about the sessions, and Steve felt really bad about that. He decided to make it up to Danny. Trying to focus on the activities that he thought were most likely to get Danny in a soppy mood, he suggested leis (after all, you got to kiss the cheek of the person you put it on... and Steve would admit he had a thing for Danny’s cheeks, especially when he smiled)... kayaking could be really romantic, especially at sunset, if he could bribe the kid at the kiosk to let him keep it out late. He tossed snorkeling in there so it wasn’t too obvious what he was doing, and figuring Danny would refuse because of his ankle. 

Steve couldn’t believe his luck when Danny agreed to the lei class. “Yeah, you can make me a lei,” he laughed. Steve got a little giddy at that, and grinned hugely, and he thought he caught Danny react to his grin like he sometimes did. But then, Danny said he’d go for the kayaking, and Steve really got excited.  

After they finished their food and drinks, they went back to the room to change, and Steve realized the Mai Tais had been a bad idea, because he was hyper aware of Danny’s body pressing into his as he helped him keep the weight off his ankle. To distract himself, he decided to pack for all possibilities for their kayak jaunt. He knew Danny would give him a hard time, and getting Danny to harass him might help him focus less on what he wanted to be doing to Danny.

Fortunately, Danny couldn’t resist. “Ok, you realize we are not trying to kayak back to Oahu, right?”

Steve smirked at the wonderful predictability of his partner. “Yeah, but we could if we needed to.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Please tell me there’s a session on dealing with insane partners who have lost their grip on reality.”

“Nope,” Steve responded, and, finishing his packing, he rose, smacking Danny on his good leg. “Let’s go, _partner_.” And he allowed himself a syrupy tone on that last word.

Steve had called down to reserve the kayak, and the guy was waiting for them on the beach by the time they made it down. He showed Steve where the lock was for the kayak, so they could return after dark, and Steve slipped him a fifty for his troubles. Fortunately, Danny didn’t notice. He was distracted by the colors of the sky, which made Steve smile. Danny didn’t pay much attention to things like sunsets at home. Maybe he could change that, Steve thought.

“Why don’t we ever do this at home?” Danny asked, as Steve paddled them out to sea, and Steve’s heart skipped a beat.

“We could do this,” Steve started, and before he got lost in too many thoughts about night-time paddles, he pulled himself to the present. Seeking some distraction, he went with teasing Danny again, and why was that his default? “I bet it’s a good couple’s thing.”

“Just shut it and keep paddling, SEAL boy,” Danny groused, and Steve smiled and gave him a salute.

Steve followed the coastline, not too far out, and Danny didn’t even freak out once. He was impressed. He’d have never thought Danny could have enjoyed this, and he was thrilled. Then Danny sighed. “This is really romantic,” he said, and what the fuck? Did he realize what he’d just said? Steve’s pulse quickened.

He was torn between honesty and deflection, and what came out was a mixture of both. “I’m buying you a kayak when we get home, if that’s all it takes to get you to stop yelling at me.” He cringed when he heard it, and held his breath while he waited for Danny’s response to that.

“I don’t yell at you,” Danny replied, sounding slightly odd, and Steve could have predicted the response, if not the tone.

Steve turned to face him, because, well. Yelling and Danny went kind of hand in hand. “Uh, yeah, you do.”

“No,” Danny yelled— _uh, didn’t yell_. “No, Steve, I do not.”

“Kind of yelling right now, Danno,” Steve pointed out, trying not to laugh.

“This is not yelling, Steven,” Danny said, but he lowered his voice, and Steve smirked. “This is pointing out that you are wrong, my friend. As is so often the case.”

Steve turned back around before he could lean forward and pinch Danny’s cheeks. “Ok, Danno,” he said, biting back a huge grin.

“But if you wanted to take me out kayaking at home, I maybe wouldn’t complain,” Danny mumbled, and Steve held his breath till his pulse steadied.

Reluctantly, Steve headed back for the resort. He briefly contemplated getting them accidentally stuck out somewhere, because he didn’t want this to end, but with Danny’s ankle, he knew that would just be asking for trouble.

He was, in spite of the $25 burger, starving again, and that probably had more to do with his racing heart than the exertion of paddling, so when they got back to land he asked Danny if he wanted to get some food.

“Yeah, but I’m not up for going out, I don’t think,” Danny replied, sounding tired, and Steve felt bad for keeping him out so long. But he rather liked the idea of ordering room service....

“Can we get those burgers from room service, do you think?” Steve asked.

Danny laughed. “Yeah, babe, I already checked.”

To hide his feelings that a night "in" with Danny sounded way better than being out in public, Steve went for a friendly “Good man,” slapping Danny around the shoulder, and trying to take most of Danny’s weight as they walked back to the room.

They showered while they waited for room service, Steve making Danny go first, and distracting himself from thinking about the water running over Danny’s bare skin by making ridiculous comments about the soap. It made Danny laugh a lot, so Steve counted that as a win.

When the food came, Steve forced himself to sit on his own bed, rather than next to Danny like he so wanted. Danny had found a hilariously awful action movie on TV while Steve had been in the shower, and as they ate, they criticized the less realistic parts, and in general had a really great laugh over it.

In a move that probably revealed that he was, consciously or not, in “date mode,” Steve had ordered a bottle of red wine, and after they finished eating and he cleared the trays, he sat on Danny’s bed to refill his glass, and he hoped it wasn’t too painfully obvious when he simply didn’t get back up. Unfortunately, the movie ended soon after that, and though they got awhile into the horrible romcom that followed, Danny was exhausted, and Steve felt bad for keeping him up, so he turned it off and made Danny get ready for bed.

“’Night Danno,” Steve said, as he tucked him in. “I had a really nice day.”

Danny smiled. “Me too, babe. Thank you.”

Steve had to physically restrain himself from leaning down and planting a kiss on Danny’s forehead. Danny was so sleepy he couldn’t even keep his eyes open, and Steve’s heart was just aching. He pulled himself away with some effort and climbed into his bed, allowing himself a large sigh. _Pull it together, McGarrett,_ he scolded himself.

*

Steve got up early the next morning, knowing he was going to need a good long swim if he was going to make it through the day without mauling Danny. Part of any plan to get in Danny’s good books must always include copious amounts of caffeine and baked goods, so he stopped off at the coffee shop on his way back to the room to procure supplies.

Danny’s reaction was predictable, and Steve was simultaneously glad and annoyed, because he didn’t really need a gushy Danny to encourage his inappropriate thoughts. Steve got in the shower and turned it up high and on cold to both calm his blood flow and to cover up the obscene sounds Danny made while eating his pastry. Seriously. The man had no manners. He used Danny’s soap out of spite, and that had been a bad idea, because now he was going to be thinking about Danny's soft, soft skin _all day long_.  

They made it to the lei class just in time, and, determined to make the perfect lei for Danny, Steve focused and applied himself. Danny was more interested in talking about the leis and various other things that made no sense, but Steve managed to focus enough to get done quickly. He may have then sat watching Danny's hands, as he strung his orchids with considerably less care and a bit more violence, gesturing wildly with his threading needle, and amusing Steve to no end.

When time was just about up, the instructor asked if anyone knew the proper way to give someone a lei. Steve bit his lip to restrain his enthusiasm, and raised his hand.

“Goof,” Danny scolded him, clearly embarrassed, but he didn’t care.

“Ok, good, can you show us?” The instructor asked.

Steve stood, reaching down a hand to pull Danny up alongside him. He placed the lei around Danny’s neck, savoring a kiss to his cheek. He pulled back and said “ _Aloha_ ,” trying not to smile too hugely. He almost thought Danny blushed, and wasn’t that interesting.

“Now, put yours on me,” Steve whispered, probably too close to Danny’s cheek for his own good.

“Mine’s not very good, babe,” Danny whined, and was it Steve, or did he seem nervous?

How could Danny ever think Steve wouldn’t just love whatever he made? “I don’t care, you made it with _aloha_. It’s beautiful.” He stooped so Danny could reach up to place the lei around his neck. Danny pressed a slow, sweet kiss to Steve’s cheek, whispering “ _Aloha_ ,” and Steve thought he could stay like that forever. He pulled himself together.

“We’d better go,” he said, tugging on Danny’s hand. “We’ll be late for our next session.”

They made it just in time. Loraine walked in, her usually chipper self. “Ok! Trust exercises!”

Danny cursed quietly, and Steve’s heart sank. He tried to glare at Danny in response, and Danny whispered an apology, but Steve knew he didn't mean it. Steve took a deep breath and hoped they’d make it through the session without bloodshed.

There was a break for lunch, and Steve knew Danny was wanting to skip the afternoon workshop on, of all things, _sex_. He needed Danny to go, not least of all because they’d only get the credit for the camp if they made it through all the sessions. Surely it would be awkward, but they’d get through it and go for a swim and some Mai Tais before going to that steakhouse, which was insanely expensive, but utterly worth it if it helped Danny feel better about the whole thing, and Danny’s love for food was legendary, so Steve held out hopes. At this point, he’d do just about anything to get Danny to be happy.

After the introduction, including the hand holding and affirmations, which Steve really enjoyed, and not just because he got to hold Danny’s hand (that might have been a major part of it—he couldn’t help it, he really liked holding Danny’s hand. Danny had nice hands, and he was a good hand holder. And, yes, that is a thing). Steve was thinking he might make these affirmation sessions part of their regular team meetings… maybe partly because he knew it would annoy Danny….

Loraine interrupted Steve’s planning by beginning the session, and her opening line made Steve nearly choke.

“Have you guys ever thought that maybe sex would actually help?” She asked, and why was she looking directly at Steve?

Steve’s stomach dropped. Oh, crap, he thought. There was no way Danny was going to take this well. He kicked himself for not seeing it coming. He should have anticipated it. Maybe he should have let Danny ditch the session. He could have made up a reason….

“Excuse me?” Danny spat out the water he’d just taken a sip of.

“Sometimes,” she explained, as if it was a novel concept, “when people who are not a couple argue a lot, it’s to cover up an attraction. Maybe the reason you fight so much is because you _want_ to be having sex.”

Well, Steve couldn’t argue with that. No more could he help the blush that painted his cheeks. He lowered his head and tried to hide his eyes. Was part of Danny’s bickering with him likewise because he was attracted to him? _Maybe_ , he hoped. Danny didn’t really interact the way he did with Steve with anyone else. He might say it was because Steve drove him crazy. But maybe there was more to it as well.... After all, Danny drove _him_ crazy. In several different ways. He held back a sigh with immense effort and started counting the seconds till the session would be over.

“Something to think about at any rate,” Loraine said, but then thankfully dropped the subject and moved on to discussing the other couples. Steve watched Danny out of the corner of his eye, and he could tell he was lost in thought (he could almost _hear_ Danny’s mind in overdrive), and Steve tried really hard not to freak out. He held his face as neutrally as he could, and refused to think about what might be going on in Danny’s muddled head. When the session finally ended, Danny seemed startled, and looked at Steve, a dazed expression on his face. Steve had no idea what to think.

“Well,” Loraine said. “I think we all know what we need to work on tonight? Everyone have a lovely evening, and please be sure to fill out the online survey once you return home! Thank you so much for coming, I wish you all the best of luck.”

They walked back to their room in silence. Danny plopped down on his bed, and Steve held his breath, waiting for what was next.

“I _so_ need a drink after that,” Danny sighed, and Steve didn’t know what to make of that. It wasn’t really encouraging, he thought. But at the same time....

“Yeah?” He asked, searching the depths of Danny’s eyes, hoping he’d see a hint, a sign, something positive.

Steve was pretty sure Danny could read his own feelings in his eyes, as he drew in a sharp breath when he looked. “Uh....” He clearly didn’t know what to say, and Steve wasn’t totally sure what he’d seen in Danny’s eyes, but he wasn’t going to just let this go. They’d come this far, scraped this raw. They were going to face it, finally, and deal with it. Because the alternative was one Steve just couldn’t face. He took a deep breath, and dove in.

“What if they’re right?” Steve whispered, and when Danny went deathly still, he pushed. “Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it.”

Danny laughed and avoided Steve’s eyes.

“And don’t tell me you have a girlfriend,” Steve pressed. He’d suspected that Melissa had broken up with Danny some time ago. It had been ages since Danny’d said anything about her, other than bland statements and vague excuses. “When was the last time you even saw her?”

Danny turned back to him with an odd look. “She’s been busy, and so have I,” he said, weakly.

“Uh-huh.” Steve responded, not buying it for a moment. He moved closer to Danny, but didn’t sit down.

Danny’s tongue slipped out and he licked his lips and Steve was entranced. “Have you?” He asked, tentatively.

“Have I what?” Steve asked somewhat dumbly—he was mesmerized by Danny’s lips.

“Thought about it.”

Steve forced his gaze away from Danny’s lips and up to his eyes, and held them. He nodded, tight with suspense.

Danny huffed out a breath like he’d been punched. “Oh my God.” He pressed his hands to his face as if he wanted to hide, and Steve held himself as still as he could, not wanting to spook Danny.

“Have _you_?” Steve eventually asked, his voice hoarse with fear and longing.

Danny looked up at him, his hands on his head, a crazed look in his eyes. After an impossibly long time, he sighed, seeming to collapse. “Yeah. Yeah, ok?” He dropped his hands to his side. “Yeah, I have. Of course I have. How could I not.”

Steve couldn’t help it, that was quite the admission, and it gave him more hope than he’d thought he’d have. His face must have reflected that, because Danny reacted strongly. “Oh my God, Steven.” He shook his head. “ _No, no, no,_ this is NOT an ok idea.”

Steve could stay standing no longer. He sunk down next to Danny. “Why not, Danny?” He asked, trying not to let too much of his desire into his voice, but it was a losing battle at this point.

Danny looked like he was close to breaking, Steve just wasn’t sure which way he would fall when he did. “Why not?” Danny laughed bitterly. “Fuck, Steven, how can you even ask that? We’re partners. We work together. The team...” and Danny had started to cry, and Steve’s heart lurched.

“Danny,” he started, slowly, and he needed Danny to understand, needed him to _know_... and it was so, so hard to not reach out for Danny’s hands. “I know you better than I’ve ever known _anyone_. You know _me_ better than anyone ever has. You _get_ me better than anyone ever has.” He choked. “And... I’m pretty sure....” He felt like he couldn’t catch his breath, and his eyes were filling. He swallowed, hard, and blinked to clear his eyes, and tried again. “I’m pretty sure... that I’m in love with you.” He closed his eyes as he said it, because he was terrified of what he might see in Danny’s eyes.

“ _Shit_.” Danny swore, and gee that was just what a guy wanted to hear when he’d confessed his love. “Shit, shit, shit, shit.” Steve opened his eyes, to look in Danny’s, and what he saw there gave him a renewed sense of hope. “Fuck, _oh, fuck_.” And Steve knew Danny was giving in... and the next thing Steve knew he was being kissed. And, oh, it was wonderful. Hard and angry and frustrated and broken, and  _wonderful_. “Goddamit, Steven,” Danny said, pulling back and taking a deep breath. “I love...” And Steve held his breath. “Fuck.” Danny took another deep breath. “I love you. Ok? Yeah, I love you. Jesus.” And Steve thought he would burst, and when Danny moved back towards Steve for another kiss, he grabbed Danny and pulled him against his chest. And Steve could hardly believe his luck, and now that Danny had given in, he couldn’t seem to get enough, and Steve pulled back and tore his shirt off, buttons and all, and Danny laughed, and Steve ran his hands up Danny’s chest, _oh, God, Danny’s chest_ , and grinning, he slid his hands up and pulled Danny’s shirt off over his head, and Danny’s gasp went directly to Steve’s gut. “Fuck, where’d you learn that move? The James Bond school of seduction?” And Steve loved how Danny sounded, God, he loved making him sound like that, but his instinct to tease Danny remained intact.

“How are you talking right now?” he asked, amused, and now he needed more. He pushed Danny into the mattress, and moved his focus to Danny’s pants. 

Danny groaned, and getting on board with the new area of focus, grabbed Steve’s ass. “I like you in linen,” he whispered. “So much better than cargos.”

Steve’s heart flipped, and he laughed, and pulled Danny’s zipper down, reaching a hand in to grab him. “Still talking,” he pointed out, and Danny’s gasp made him melt.

Feeling predatory, Steve carefully flipped them so Danny was on top so that he could slide Danny’s pants off. Danny took it admirably, kicking his boxers off, and while he was distracted, Steve got his own shorts down. When Danny saw, he bent to pull them all the way off, and then stilled.

Danny was looking at him like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Jesus fuck you are gorgeous.”

Steve laughed, but he was absorbed by the sight that was a naked Danny. He was torn between wanting to look and wanting to touch, but touching won out, for now. “Come here,” he groaned.

Danny pressed his hips down into Steve. “Need. _More_ ,” he whispered.

Steve couldn’t have said it better himself. “Yeah,” he agreed, pulling Danny against him. And, oh, it was so good. Danny felt amazing beneath Steve’s hands. He was so responsive, so reactive, so passionate, it just fueled Steve, filled him, propelled him. Contact with Danny was like contact with fire for Steve, and the more he got the more he wanted. He had never felt so insatiable. It thrilled him and it terrified him in equal measure. And he couldn’t believe how quickly they ended. But, no, he told himself, it was only the beginning. There were so many things he wanted to do, so much he wanted to feel, to touch, to taste, to savor... as their kisses slowed, Steve’s longing to _see_ as well as touch returned, and he pulled Danny toward the bathroom. “Come on,” he breathed into Danny’s ear. “Shower. Let’s make good use of that soap.”

Danny laughed, and it was a new laugh—a sexy laugh—and Steve thought it was his new favorite sound. They fell into the shower and Danny gasped as Steve held him against the cold tile, turning the water on with his foot while his hands found the soap and began to lather Danny all over.

“I have never been more impressed with your Navy training,” Danny said, and his voice, oh God, his voice was husky and heated, and Steve was going to burst.

“No touching,” he grunted, grabbing the washcloth Danny had been about to use, and washing them both off. He pressed them back together, this time with his back against the wall, and his knee under Danny so his weight was off his ankle. Steve had never gotten so hard so fast so soon, and he could barely take the slick slide of that insane soap against his skin, against Danny’s skin, their skin against each other, and oh my God, they were coming again in even less time, and he was stunned and completely amazed and just entranced.

“We are so taking lots of this soap home,” Danny whispered between sloppy, wonderful kisses.

Steve’s heart spilled over. He pulled back to look at Danny. “Whatever you like, Danno,” he said, all fondness and affection and wanting and promises. “ _Anything for you_.” And he hoped Danny understood how much he meant that.

“You’re a big goof, you know that?” Danny replied, with such a huge smile, and Steve knew he’d understood.

Unable to contain his joy, Steve grinned enormously. “You love it.”

“Yeah,” Danny sighed. “Yeah, I do.”

*

Three times more in the night, they came together, pressing, and sliding, and kissing, and loving, and all the years of resisting, of fighting, were transformed by the touching they’d never let themselves do, and it was the most amazing night of Steve’s life.

Steve woke before Danny, and he set about planning a breakfast to celebrate their breakthrough, and also to make up for not having had any dinner the night before. He smiled as he laid out the items on the table. Coffee, and pastries, and eggs under lids, and blueberry pancakes, and fruit in little cups. He looked out at the ocean and took a deep breath. He hardly dared imagine this was real… and the longer Danny slept, the more anxious Steve became at how he might react by the light of day. He was soothed out of his worries by his favorite pair of arms wrapping themselves around his chest, and he melted back into Danny’s grasp. He felt soothed and calmed and at peace. He felt like the luckiest guy on the island.

“’Morning, babe,” Danny whispered.

Steve definitely could get used to this. He turned Danny around, and pulled him in for a kiss. “Good morning, Danno,” he said, lovingly.

“What’s all this?” Danny asked, waving at food. “And how’d you get all this without waking me?”

Steve couldn’t resist tossing Danny’s words back at him. “Stealth mode,” he said, smiling.

Danny laughed as he kissed him. “I think I could get used to this,” he said, and it took everything for Steve not to say “Yes, please do.”

They had a slow and decadent breakfast, peppered with many kisses.

But there was one topic Steve just had to address, and he wasn’t going to be truly comfortable until he did. “Danny...” he started, and he could tell right away that Danny knew exactly what he was thinking. His partner’s ability to read him sometimes still amazed him.

“She broke up with me,” Danny admitted. “A while ago.” He sighed. “Said I was married to my job…” he trailed off, and Steve knew how much that had to have hurt Danny, to lose someone the same way again. But it seemed like he was struggling with something else. He closed his eyes. “I think she suspected.... She knew. I think she knew.” He opened his eyes, and Steve knew he was going to fix that old hurt once and for all. He just had to.

“Come for a swim with me?” He asked Danny on a whisper. “Please?”

“Yeah, ok,” Danny smiled.

Leaving the dishes half finished on the table, they changed into their swim trunks and headed, barefoot, down to the beach, Steve still solicitous of Danny’s injured ankle. They swam a little ways out, and Steve held Danny as they drifted gently down the coastline.

“Is this going to be hard?” He asked Danny as they floated. “Everything is going to be different.” He was terrified, yet strangely excited by the thought.

“Naw,” Danny replied, and he sounded surprisingly at ease about it. “Not really. We’ll probably argue just as much, but we’ll have a way of getting it out after,” he smirked, and the thought sent Steve’s blood rising. “Besides, everyone’s thought we were married for years.”

Steve wondered if Danny had figured him out, as he could tell Danny’s mind was puzzling over something.

It was like a light suddenly went on. “You did this on purpose,” he said, slowly. “Didn’t you?” He was looking absolutely stunned. “There was no misreading of the brochure. You did this intentionally.”

Steve held his breath, trying to smile innocently.

Danny shook his head. “Oh, my God, you did....” He laughed, and pulled himself through the water, closer to Steve, who let out his breath in relief.

“One of my better ops,” Steve admitted, as they kissed, and Danny laughed in response.

*

When Danny and Steve walked into the lobby at check out time, they were holding hands. Everyone from the camp was there. And it was Steve's turn to hold back a groan.

He heard Keren say to Loraine “Do you get points for getting a couple _together_?”

“Oh. My. God,” someone said, while someone else shouted rather loudly “I knew it!”

Steve blushed, embarrassed, but Danny just smiled hugely. Steve pulled Danny closer to him for protection, and maybe a bit in a show of possession. “Easy, babe,” Danny whispered, squeezing his hand.

Loraine did not look in the least shocked. In fact, very much the opposite. “I’m very happy for you both,” she said. "And I wish you the best of luck on this new phase of your journey." She smiled sweetly, and as if she knew they were making Steve uncomfortable, turned back to the others and moved them away.

*

Steve had originally booked their return flight with seats next to each other, hoping Danny would be more settled by then, and maybe just _maybe_ he’d hoped for this... as Danny settled against Steve’s side, sighing softly. Steve didn’t even try to hide his smirk. He kissed the top of Danny’s head, and how many times had he longed to do that? He sighed, and whispered “Love you, Danno.” Danny squeezed his hand. “Love you too, babe.” And Steve didn’t think he’d ever been happier.

When they walked out of the airport, still holding hands, they saw Chin and Kono waiting for them. Kono was holding leis… and what was she thinking? Steve looked at them as though he could figure out how they’d known if he looked hard enough.

Danny clearly thought it was Steve’s doing.“They knew?” He asked.

Steve was bemused. “I didn’t tell them....” He insisted.

“Look at them,” Danny exclaimed. “They knew!”

“We are cops, you know,” Chin said, playing at being insulted. Steve chuckled. He should have known they'd figure it out.

Kono walked forward and kissed them both warmly on the cheek. “ _Aloha_ ,” she said, placing the leis around their necks, and winking at Steve.

Chin took their bags from them, and loaded them into Steve’s truck. “Come on,” he said. “We’ve got a case, but you can tell us all about it on the way.”


End file.
